A Sum too Small for a Clever Mechanic..

Newspapers describe the theft from Edward Scrivener in great detail. It would seem it was not John Panton’s first such attempt.

Mr Scrivener had encountered John Panton leaving with a sack. Upon being questioned Panton told his employer that the sack contained only tallow croak.(I presume tallow croak would be the remnants from making the tallow candles).

Edward Scrivener suspicions by now had been aroused, so he had then set a trap by driving a wooden peg into a piece of soap. The following day he had searched his (John Panton’s) pockets and had sent for William Tuxford, policeman. John Panton had immediately admitted the theft, stating that not only had he taken the soap(the soap with the wooden peg was found on his person) but that he had half a pound of candles in his pocket too.

Panton is described as having a wife and nine children(Interestingly I currently have only eight on my tree-Ann,John, Robert,Susan,Rebecca, Charlotte, Frederic and Henry). His wage is also mentioned as being sixteen shillings a week which the newspaper considers to be “too small for a clever mechanic”.

As we know already, he received a sentence of three months for his crime.